Part 2

And she spoke to him of the thousand ones Who toiled in the city hour by hour, Who never had seen the country suns, And never had plucked a country flow’r, And a new light shone in his mournful eyes, He hushed his sad, complaining cries; For that little bunch of flow’rets wild Had changed the life of the crippled child.

What is the song the children hear, O pealing bells, O Christmas bells, Echoing high and low, When skies are dark and winds are drear, What is the song the children hear Across the winter snow? _Christ is born_ (the joy-bells ring) _Christ is born to be your King,_ _Christ has come from Heaven to bring_ _Peace to earth below._

What is the song the children sing, A carol sweet all hearts to greet, Good news for high and low? What is the news the children bring, What is the song the children sing As through the streets they go? _Christ is born_ (the children sing), _Christ is born to be our King,_ _Christ has come from Heaven to bring_ _Peace to earth below._

He sat on Christmas morn alone, No friend to bid him cheer; He missed them not, though all were gone, Who loved him yester-year. And gaily rang the Christmas bells, Their wondrous tale of old; He heard no meaning in their sound, He sate and hugged his gold.

He watched the happy folks go by, He scowled to see them glad, And then a little maid drew nigh, A holly bough she had. She lifts her pleading face to him, She begs in accents wild: What is it makes his eyes grow dim? Why does he call the child?—

He seems to see his mother’s face, Who died long years ago, And the holly bough he knelt to place Upon her grave of snow. He listened to the Christmas bells, He felt their meaning then: Peace upon earth, and in his heart Peace and good-will to men!

The old milestone is reached at last, And night will be upon us soon; The western light is changing fast, And slowly climbs the crescent moon.

The path that we have trod erewhile Stretches behind us, growing gray, And here we stand beside the stile That ends our journey for to-day.

Our twilight talks have gone so fast, Like all things glad, it so must be; The old milestone is reached at last, That means good-bye for you and me.

But we will have no mournful chimes, Sweet children, no, we shall not part; For while you listen to my rhymes, You cannot ever leave my heart!